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The signing of Anthony Davis to play alongside LeBron in Hollywood seems to have temporarily put a hold on the Lakers' nosebleed. Things were falling apart in quick concession, to the point where rumours of LeBron fleeing LA were in circulation. But the situation has been stabilised to a large extent for now, as the front office looks to sign a third star to add to the mix.
The harder section of General Manager Rob Pelinka's offseason might just be getting started. The need to fill the remaining roster spots around the two superstars with limited resources at hand is a task that needs to be pulled through with surgical precision as part of the finishing touches before the regular season tips off.
Davis waiving his $4 million trade bonus in order to clear some room for the Lakers to sign another max contract free agent goes to show the commitment of the franchise and stars combined.
Let's take a look at three possible ways this team can make the final leap.
#3 One or more of LeBron's former teammates should don purple-n-gold
In the backdrop of how he handled the depleted Cavs roster last season, there's no denying the fact that LeBron might pull a few strings this year, now that he's at a position of authority in LA.
Recent rumblings have suggested a possible reunion with JR Smith, fueled by news that the Cavaliers have delayed the guarantee date on his contract for the upcoming season just so they could buy more time to look up a trade for him. This gives them two weeks to chalk up trade and allow JR to have his full salary, or eventually waive him for good.
Some isolated reports also present Kyle Korver as a potential candidate when the front office might be looking to stuff the roster around James and AD. The possibility that it can be some other unexpected former sidekick can never be struck out, now that it has become fairly easy to sign a veteran minimum contract with Davis in town.
#2 Pick a poison: Kawhi Leonard, Kemba Walker or Kyrie Irving
The Lakers' pursuit of Kawhi Leonard has been a constant chatter for a while now. Now that the free agency is just around the corner, the front office is making a wild dash by laying all their chips in to land the latest Finals MVP.
They just got done with clearing up cap space paramount to signing a max free agent like Kawi Leonard and with the right moves at this opportune moment, we really might just have the NBA's newest superteam down in LA.
Now that reports of Kyrie Irving signing a 4-year/$141M deal with the Nets as well as Kemba Walker's inclination towards a max contract with Boston have reached a fever pitch, it really creates a vacuum space for the Lakers as they look to put everything behind the Klaw. All other major free agents are on the verge of making up their minds and the Lakers prefix is yet to be attached to any one of them.
#1 D'Angelo Russell returns for a redemption run with the Lakers
It was not long ago that the Lakers traded Russell away and Magic Johnson indirectly accused him of a lack of leadership. Well, this past season, the 23-year-old led his team to a legit playoff campaign and bagged his first All-Star selection in the process.
He is poised for a big payday this offseason and the only question remains whether LA would be the suitable hosts. He averaged 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game and shot 43% from the floor, leading the surge in Brooklyn from the front. He could be a viable third scoring option and someone who could space the floor with his perimeter shooting and passing.
Clearly, the LeBron-AD era of the Lakers franchise is far removed from what Russell witnessed a couple of years ago, and amongst all of his possible destinations, LA provides a legit shot at the title.
Already on an upward curve, it would be an ideal condition for D'Angelo to team up with two generational talents and fill the point guard position for them.
Guess the Lakers players!
